Optical disk, optical disk recording method, and optical disk recording apparatus

Abstract

In an optical disk recording method of recording data onto a recordable optical disk which includes a data zone where data is recorded and a management data zone where management data indicating the recorded part of the data zone is recorded, an extended management data zone in which the management data is to be recorded is set in the data zone in response to an extension instruction.

1. An optical disk recording method of recording data onto a recordable optical disk which includes a data zone where data is recorded, a test zone where a test recording is performed, and a guard zone provided between the data zone and the test zone, the optical disk recording method comprising:
 setting all of or a part of the guard zone or all of the guard zone and a part of the data zone as an extended test zone where the test recording is performed in response to an extension instruction; 
 setting the extended test zone or a part of the data zone contacting the guard zone as a new guard zone; 
 checking the number of times the test zone is extended to determine whether the number of times is smaller than a predetermined number in response to the extension instruction; and 
 transmitting a result of the determination in the checking step to a host which issues the extension instruction. 
 
   
   
     2. The optical disk recording method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 checking a capacity of an unrecorded test zone to determine whether the capacity of the unrecorded test zone is smaller than a predetermined capacity; and 
 transmitting a result of the determination in the checking step to a host which issues the extension instruction. 
 
   
   
     3. The optical disk recording method according to  claim 1 , wherein the checking, in response to a data recording instruction from the host, checks the capacity of the unrecorded test zone before recording data. 
   
   
     4. The optical disk recording method according to  claim 1 , further comprising recording the number of times the test zone is extended as management data in the management data zone. 
   
   
     5. An optical disk recording apparatus which records data onto a recordable optical disk which includes a data zone where data is recorded, a test zone where a test recording is performed, and a guard zone provided between the data zone and the test zone, the optical disk recording apparatus comprising:
 a first setting unit which sets all of or a part of the guard zone or all of the guard zone and a part of the data zone as an extended test zone where the test recording is performed in response to an extension instruction; 
 a second setting unit which sets the extended test zone or a part of the data zone contacting the guard zone as a new guard zone; 
 a checking unit which checks the number of times the test zone is extended to determine whether the number of times is smaller than a predetermined number in response to the extension instruction; and 
 a transmitting unit which transmits a result of the determination in the checking unit to a host which issues the extension instruction. 
 
   
   
     6. The optical disk recording apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a checking unit which checks a capacity of an unrecorded test zone to determine whether the capacity of the unrecorded test zone is smaller than a predetermined capacity; and 
 a transmitting unit which transmits a result of the determination in the checking unit to a host which issues the extension instruction. 
 
   
   
     7. The optical disk recording apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the checking unit, in response to a data recording instruction from the host, checks the capacity of the unrecorded test zone before recording data. 
   
   
     8. The optical disk recording apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a recording unit records the number of times the test zone is extended as management data in the management data zone.